I'm not a James Bond fanatic, but I know a good action film when I see it and "Skyfall," with Daniel Craig, is that.

And as I said in my review, the filmmakers - among them "American Beauty" director Sam Mendes - reveal aspects of Bond's interior emotional life in a way that makes it the most intimate Bond film yet.

Watch Sunday for my story about the how Bond creator Ian Fleming did not live long enough to see his creation become an international success. Fleming died of a heart attack in 1964 at the age of 56 shortly before the release of "Goldfinger."

People continue to argue over and analyze the different Bond films and the actors who played the suave British spy. The hands-down favorite is Sean Connery, who defined the character by starring in five of the earliest of the 23 Bond films.

After the first two, "From Russia with Love" and "Dr. No," Fleming even incorporated parts of Connery's persona, including his Scottish heritage, into the subsequent books.

According to this Bond fan site, the films have earned more than $13 billion, when adjusted for inflation.

And of the films, "Thunderball," is the highest grossing when adjusted for inflation, earning $1 billion. Rounding out the top five, all but one of which star Connery, are "Goldfinger," "Live and Let Die," with Roger Moore, "You Only Live Twice" and "The Spy Who Loved Me." Watch the original, rather corny, "Thunderball" trailer below.

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About Duane Dudek

Duane Dudek is a reporter and columnist covering radio and television. He also reviews movies.